Invest in farming
Koroduva: We are so blessed to have rich soil
LIVING in the city might seem like a luxury to some people, but for retired school head teacher Tobia Koroduva of Sawanikula Village in Wainimala, Naitasiri, village life is fulfilling.
As a head teacher, Mr Koroduva didn’t quite enjoy living in the urban area because even though people worked hard and earned enough, there was also a lot of responsibility associated with living in the city.
“It took up a lot of our time and there was always a lot of commitment and most couldn’t really save in the city,” he said.
“Now I’ve lived in the village for 10 years and I have earned more than what I’ve earned working as a teacher in the city.
“It’s from toiling the land and we are so blessed to have rich fertile soil that can produce yaqona (kava) and dalo (taro).
“My advice to young people is to invest in farming and to use the land more because what it yields is more than what a qualified job can offer in terms of revenue.”
He said since Sawanikula Village had rich soil, yaqona could be harvested just within three years compared with the usual four or five yearterm of harvest.
“The young and old earn a lot now in the village compared with before,” he said.
“If you’re lazy you don’t earn anything but if you’re committed and work hard towards a certain goal you get to be one of the richest person in Fiji especially if you’re a yaqona farmer.”
He said at the moment farmers got $60 to $70 for a kilogram of yaqona.
“With that we earned a lot because farmers out here have the resources and are dedicated to the work,” he said.
Even in the village, villagers still have the iTaukei custom of solesolevaki (the tradition where a group of villagers work together or carry out a villager’s task that might be onerous).
Also during his time in the village, Mr Koroduva was able to help his village start a school.
He said when he moved to the village not only did he invest in farming; he also helped the village children with education.
“We first started our school in our village hall where the hall was divided into three sections to cater for the different classes.
“The reason we had our school in the village was because it was dangerous for our children to cross the Wainimala River three times to get to the nearest school which was Namalo District School,” he said.
“From having classes in the village hall to opening the new Naboro Sawanikula Primary School, education has come a long way in the village.”
He said he was always available to give advice on education to children living in the village.